A former Port Authority officer and the agency's PBA filed a lawsuit Wednesday alleging the agency unlawfully searched officers' cellphones while investigating an assault at a 2014 party.

Officers were forced to hand over their cellphones during an investigation into alleged criminal activities by off-duty officers who had just graduated from the academy, including criminal sexual assault and stealing alcohol, according to the complaint.

"The Port Authority strongly disputes the allegations made by the PBA regarding the Inspector General's investigation into the egregious behavior at this party involving newly sworn PAPD officers and some of their supervisors," the Port Authority said in a statement.

Alison is a reporter covering law enforcement and breaking news. Before joining amNewYork, she worked at The Wall Street Journal. She has a master’s degree from Northwestern University and bachelor’s from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.